Door closer



- Nov. 2,1926. 1,605,158

,1. BAVETT DOOR CLOSER Filed Nov. 5. 1923 INVENTOR BY i' ATTORNEYSPatented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JosnrH nnvnr'r, or nnprnvronn, MARYLAND.

noon CLOSER:

Application filed Itovember 3,1923. Serial mi. 672,490. k

This invention relates to devices for auto matically closing doors andalthough capable of use in connection with any swinging door, it isparticularly adaptedfor use in closing the doors of vehicles such astaxi-cabs or other closed body automobiles.

One object of my invention is to so conand inexpensive. constructionhaving the minimum number of parts so connected that they cannot get outof order or fail to properly operate.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1. is an elevation of the inner side of a portion of a vehicle Walland door having my improved device attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale,and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a rod forming a part of theconstruction.

I have illustrated my improved construction as attached to a vehiclebody wall 10 havinga hinged door 11. It will of course be evident thatthe drawings include only a conventional illustration of such wall anddoor, as the details thereof form no portion of my invention.

My improved device includes two relatively movable and yieldinglyconnected parts, one adapted to be attached to the door and the other tothe door casing upon 0pposite sides of the hinge center, and upon thesurface of the wall and door opposite to that having said hinge center.

these members is in the form of a tube 12 and the other in the form of arod 13. Although in some constructions the tube may be secured to eitherthe casing or vthedoor, in vehicles it is preferable that the tubularmember 12 be secured to the casing or vehicle body wall instead of tothedoor. As shown, it is secured to the inner surface of the wall 10adjacent to the plane of the upper edge of the door 11 and on the sideof said wall opposite to the pintle of the hinge 14-. The tubular memberextends in a direction substantially at right angles to the edge of thedoor opening and is rigidly secured in any suitable manner as for One ofinstance by lugs 15 and attaching screws. The member 13 is pivotallyconnected to the door ll-by means of a bracket 16 which has a pair ofspaced lugs or ears receiving an eye 17 on the end of the member 13and'a suitable pivot pin. The tubular member 12 has a slot 18 extendinglengthwise thereof at the end portion nearest to the door edge, and of awidth'slightly greater than the diameter of the rod 18. Therod 13 has ahead '19 which is of greater vertical dimension than the slot so that itis guided lengthwise of the tubular member and cannot escape from theslot when the parts are secured in position for use. The parts are sopositioned that when the door is closed the head 19 is adjacent to theend of the slot farthest from the door edge. VVitlnn the tubular memberis a coil spring 20 which acts on the head 19 and exerts a pressuretending to move the head 19 away from the edge of the door opening andthus pull the door to closed position. Although in some constructions Imay employ a compression spring on the side of the head toward the dooropening, I preferably employ a tension spring on the side of the headaway from the door opening. This permits the spacing of the end of thetubular member as'close to the door opening as desired. There is alsoprovided means whereby the tension of the spring may be varied to exerta greater or lesser pull on the rod 13. This tension adjusting means isshown as a screw 21 extending through the end of the tubular member 12and having threaded engagement with a nut 22 connected to the end of thespring. By rotating the screw the nut may be-moved toward or away fromthe end-of the tubular member and the spring or less tension.

It will be noted that in attaching the de vice it is merely necessary toinsert the proper screws to hold the lugs 15 and bracket 16 in place,and that the device when installed comes above the heads of thepassengers in the vehicle and close to the roof so as to beinconspicuous. The device includes the minimum number of parts, and noneof these is expensive to manufacture or assemble. The head 19 may beinserted through the slot when the rod is turned so as to bring the headlengthwise of the slot and the spring may be connected to the head inany suitable manner,as for instance by passing the end of put undergreater the wire through a hole in the rod, or by bending it around thehead. The rod 13 may be so curved in respect to the, height of theln'acket 16 and the positioning of the'pa'rts that it will clear theedge of the door and of the door casing when the door is opened through90. It may then bind on the edge oi the door opening as shownin Fig. 2,so as to act as a door stop and prevent the door from being opened toany further extent. The spring exerts a continuous pull on the rod 13 sothat after the door has been opened the device will automatically closethe door when the passenger or attendant lets go ot. the door.

The device serves not only as a door closer, but it acts to hold thedoor in closed position and prevent it from flying open if the latch isnot properly engaged when the vehicle starts in motion.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: V I i 'A door closer for automobiles andadapted to exert yielding tension tending to hold the door in closedposition, said door closer including a tubular member having lugsintegral with the wall thereof at opposite ends for securing saidtubular member to the inner surface of the Wall of the automobile pullrod pivotally connected to said bracket,

and having a head portion Within said tubular member and connected tosaid rod through said slot, a tension soring Within said tubular memberand connected to said head portion, and tension adjusting means forconnecting the other end of said spring tothe end of the tubular memberfarthest from said door opening.

Signed at Baltimore in the State of lxlaryland this 30th day of October,A. D. 1923.

a JOSEPH BAVETT.

